Latest News
Happy Worker’s Day 🇿🇦
1 May is recognised internationally as Workers’ Day—a date to mark the role of workers in society and the legal protections established through organised labour. In South Africa, this public holiday has been observed since 1994 and acknowledges both the achievements...
“Change moves at the speed of trust”
In the world of development, there is often an expectation that progress should be quick and tangible. Projects are typically measured against short timelines, and funding cycles rarely allow for the slow, patient work that meaningful change often requires. As Stephen...
The Impact of Recent International Aid Cuts on Our Organisation and Community Health Initiatives
The recent United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) cuts in aid have prompted inquiries about their impact on our organisation and community. We were not receiving direct funding from USAID...
🚨Radio Competition: “Kwanele Ngobugebengu” – Enough with Crime!
Bulungula Community Radio invites all talented artists to take a stand against crime through music and poetry! 📅 Competition Dates: 1 April – 30 April 2025🏆 Winners Announced: First week of May 2025 – R1000 prizes in all categories!📻 Winning Entries: Will be played on...
How Bulungula College Achieved a 100% Mathematics Pass Rate: Lessons for Transforming Maths Education in Rural South Africa
The 2024 Bulungula College matric results were a proud moment for our community, with an impressive 98% pass rate. Among our greatest achievements was the dramatic improvement in Mathematics. In 2021, only 7% of our first matric class passed Mathematics. By 2023, this...
Strengthening ECD in Our Region: Establishing the Wild Coast ECD Community of Practice
Last year, we joined forces with our funder, Kamvalethu Foundation, and other organisations in our region—Jabulani Rural Health Foundation, Sustainable Coffee Bay, Educare Mpame and Layita Foundation—to establish the Wild Coast Early Childhood Development (ECD)...
Strengthening Our Infrastructure for Unpredictable Weather
The summer months bring the warm sunshine and much-needed rains for our gardens and fields. However, in recent years, the way rain falls has changed. Instead of steady showers spread over several days, we now experience short and extreme downpours (50mm per hour for a...
Bulungula College Achieves a 98% Matric Pass Rate and Earns Top Performing School in Region for the 3rd Consecutive Year!
We are thrilled to announce that Bulungula College has achieved an outstanding 98% Matric pass rate for 2024, with incredible results across all subjects: English: 100% Mathematics: 100% IsiXhosa: 100% Life Orientation: 100% Business Studies: 100% Physical Science:...
A look back at 2024
As we close out 2024, we celebrate another successful year of implementing projects and marking a big milestone: 20 years of impactful work in our community. While this year has brought its share of challenges, these “growing pains” have taught us valuable lessons and...
Across Time and Cultures: Why Giving Endures
Giving is a deeply human act. Across time and cultures, most belief systems—whether religious, philosophical, or cultural—emphasise the importance of sharing with those in need. From traditions like zakat, tzedakah, alms, or dāna, to social...
What a typical week looks like in Bulungula
Our organisation is like a little ecosystem, with 180 staff members working across our various projects in education, health, farming, radio, and extracurricular activities. Each day is buzzing. So, what does a typical week look like? Seedlings, Gardens, and Fresh...
What We are Rich In: Celebrating Traditional Rural Life
Our work focuses on addressing the challenges that impact daily life in our community, and raising awareness about the deep complexities of poverty is an important part of that mission. At the same time, we want to highlight the positive aspects of traditional rural...
Creating a Supportive Organisational Culture: How We Do Our Work Is as Important as What We Do
At the Bulungula Incubator (BI), it feels shallow to describe what we do as simply "work." We are a deeply embedded, place-based organisation with virtually nonexistent boundaries between our work and community. With 130 permanent staff—90% from our community and all...
Happy Heritage Day, South Africa! Learn About Our Community’s Rich Xhosa Heritage
Today, we celebrate South Africa's vibrant diversity. Did you know South Africa has 12 official languages and many ethnic groups, including Zulu, Xhosa, Tswana, Pedi, and Tsonga? Here on the Wild Coast of the Eastern Cape, our community proudly carries forward a...
A Display of Resilience and Unity: Updates on Recent Armed Robbery Incident
It has been just over a month since the armed robbery incident involving Réjane Woodroffe and Dave Martin, co-founders of the Bulungula Incubator. Both are making a strong recovery from the injuries they sustained during the attack. They took time away from their...
Trying to crack the tough nut: What we have learned about entrepreneurship
In 2020, we launched the Job Skills and Entrepreneurship Programme (JSEP) at Bulungula College. This programme provides accredited training and paid internships to bridge the gap between education and employment. While JSEP has seen great success in preparing young...
Expanding Our Alcohol and Tobacco Harm Reduction Programme: Integrating Pharmacotherapy and Group Support
Photo: Dr Amanda Saunders and Sibabalwe Goqwana , mental health counsellor, with a patient during enrollment consultation. In our community, as in many others across South Africa, the misuse of alcohol and tobacco presents significant social, physical, and emotional...
Nobody Left Behind: Bulungula Mobile Health Point
Before the Bulungula Incubator opened, our community's health was severely compromised by the inaccessibility of healthcare. In 2006, a survey we conducted found that one-third of babies died from diarrheal diseases, and half of households had lost at least one child....
Bulungula Lodge turns 20!
Situated in the scenic village of Nqileni, overlooking the Indian Ocean with its ancient forests and rolling hills speckled with colourful huts, Bulungula Lodge celebrates two decades of successful community-driven tourism along the rural Eastern Cape coast. At the...
Achieving True Universal Healthcare in Rural Areas: Bringing Healthcare to the Home with Nomakhayas
In our remote rural community, healthcare access has been a significant challenge. The nearest clinic is five kilometres away, but due to the rugged and expansive terrain, this journey can take over three hours round trip. While criticising the government and...